thatirishbastard saidDon't get all upset just because their website still has the same bigoted message. They're shutting down. They just announced it yesterday.

I highly doubt they would waste time and money on an upgrade to something they know they're going to scrap.

That being said, I don't forgive him either. Don't forgive, don't forget, and future generations won't make the same mistakes.

Wasting time and money is pretty much what they do. A final statement on the way out the door wouldn't hurt... especially as a message to all the Exodus II hopefuls out there ("Don't let this be your Christmas Future!").

thatirishbastard saidDon't get all upset just because their website still has the same bigoted message. They're shutting down. They just announced it yesterday.

I highly doubt they would waste time and money on an upgrade to something they know they're going to scrap.

That being said, I don't forgive him either. Don't forgive, don't forget, and future generations won't make the same mistakes.

Wasting time and money is pretty much what they do. A final statement on the way out the door wouldn't hurt... especially as a message to all the Exodus II hopefuls out there ("Don't let this be your Christmas Future!").

Yes, but in the past they've been wasting other people's time and money instead of their own. Exodus International was extraordinarily lucrative once upon a time.

thatirishbastard saidDon't get all upset just because their website still has the same bigoted message. They're shutting down. They just announced it yesterday.

I highly doubt they would waste time and money on an upgrade to something they know they're going to scrap.

That being said, I don't forgive him either. Don't forgive, don't forget, and future generations won't make the same mistakes.

Wasting time and money is pretty much what they do. A final statement on the way out the door wouldn't hurt... especially as a message to all the Exodus II hopefuls out there ("Don't let this be your Christmas Future!").

Yes, but in the past they've been wasting other people's time and money instead of their own. Exodus International was extraordinarily lucrative once upon a time.

That's very true. Now that they're back to reaching in their own pockets rather than be beholden to others' millions and expectations, they can spend the $3.99 hosting fee cost for a final message that can reverberate on other sites and on archive.org for Internet infinity. Of course, guys like me will whine about it coming too late, because it is, but it's better than never.

In this special follow up report, Lisa Ling digs into the secret history of the controversial "ex-gay" organization, Exodus International. For the first time, ex-gay survivors confront the leader of the world's largest gay-to-straight ministry, Alan Chambers.

Tune in for this powerful, special episode of Our America on Thursday, June 20th at 10/9c.

Unless you've gone digging to watch interviews with Lance Armstrong, Jason Collins, and/or DMX, you probably have no idea where to find OWN in your cable listings. Here's one way you can...

The new ministry thing is called "Reduce Fear", which from the sounds of it I can only hope has been market-tested. That name won't necessarily look sexy on the back windshields of many cars, but I guess someone put some time into coming up with it.

Box Turtle Bulletin...the Board of Directors unanimously voted to close Exodus International and begin a separate ministry. “This is a new season of ministry, to a new generation,” said Chambers. “Our goals are to reduce fear (reducefear.org), and come alongside churches to become safe, welcoming, and mutually transforming communities.”

part of me wants to tell them to go to the corner a weep. another part wants me to tell them to eat dirt and die.....but honestly, to me this was not unexpected. i had hope that eventually sanity would find a foothold with these hateful people. Hopefully they find peace and leave us alone.

Now, what happens to the global spawn he and his minions created? This editorial from four days before Exodus "International" (really, Exodus North America only) declared it's shutting that whole thing down.

(EDIT: Rev. Ogle is president of the St. Paul's Foundation that he refers to below)

Rev. Canon Robert Ogle (via San Diego Gay & Lesbian News)Chamber’s organization on May 28 withdrew from Exodus Global Alliance after 18 years of membership. The Global Alliance has networks in South America, Brazil, Indian Asia and Africa. They are most famous for presenting four papers and organizing a series of workshops at a large Evangelical Conference in Capetown, South Africa in 2010 where 4,000 leaders heard about their quackery and proceeded to implement a series of anti-gay laws across the continent that would (rely) on this misinformation as a basis for punitive actions against LGBT people.

Even the infamous Anti-Homosexuality Law in Uganda has the premise that gay orientation is deliberately chosen and can be reversed to heterosexuality. The Capetown Conference attendees (organized by Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda who preached at the closing ceremonies) were given enough significant misinformation about LGBT people that Exodus and the Global Alliance probably need to apologize to more than a few million people in the U.S. alone. They need to apologize to the whole LGBT global movement.

Compared to the invasion of Iraq based on the false premise that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, the Evangelical Christian community can be forgiven for years of anti-gay persecution because it was misinformed by Alan Chambers and his international network. The damage is profound.

Although the apology is directed towards North Americans, the damage across the planet can still be felt in many of the communities that St. Paul’s Foundation works in. Chambers is artfully crafting his exit strategy from the U.S. markets, but the real growth in this movement is in the Global South and we need to make sure that funding for these networks cannot be supported by USA-based charities. We have seen this before -- the tobacco industry declines in the Global North and opens new markets elsewhere.

Exodus and its vile message is attempting to do the same. They should be shut down completely on the basis of fraud. They are not successful in what they claim to do and the wake of damaged lives should be proof enough that their tax-exempt status should be revoked and make sure we are not funneling dollars of hate to their international networks. You can go online HERE (http://exoduslatinoamerica.com/?p=1142) to see their new markets. Exodus North America is still on their website.

The Frankensteins live on even as the Doctor moves on.

Exodus Latin America (June 11, 2012 statement)Currently the leadership of Exodus International (North America) has departed from some doctrinal foundations that are part of what we believe the rest of global ministries, so totally disclaim statements "Exodus International"... We reaffirm our desire to maintain the unity of the Body of Christ without compromise on biblical principles regarding sexual behavior.

dayumm saidAlthough the apology is directed towards North Americans, the damage across the planet can still be felt in many of the communities that St. Paul’s Foundation works in. Chambers is artfully crafting his exit strategy from the U.S. markets, but the real growth in this movement is in the Global South and we need to make sure that funding for these networks cannot be supported by USA-based charities. We have seen this before -- the tobacco industry declines in the Global North and opens new markets elsewhere.

Exactly. They can afford to 'apologize' because it's the better short-term strategy here in the U.S. Being evangelicals, their ravenous appetite won't be satisfied until they achieve world domination.